Nandina domestica Thunb. called Lowboy

ABSTRACT

A new variety of Nandina domestica Thunb. distinguished by a new and improved combination of characteristics never previously exhibited in a heavenly bamboo of new leaves of a rich bronze that change to a metallic bluish green at maturity and in winter develop a uniform reddish purple tint, densely branched, mounded spreading habit and stoloniferous growth, ranging in size from two to three feet in height and two and one half to four feet wide.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

This new variety of Nandina domestica, origin unknown, was selected fromseedlings of Nandina domestica maintained in the Rushing Nursery atSemmes, Ala. Asexual propagation of my new plant by cuttings has beenunder my direction for the past year to test stability and determineworthiness for commercial exploitation. This new variety has shown adense mounded spreading habit with the ultimate size being from two tothree feet high and two and one-half to four feet wide.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

This new variety of Nandina domestica Thunb. is illustrated by theaccompanying photographic prints, in which:

The first sheet, upper photograph discloses the winter color of my newvariety and fruit texture. The lower photograph discloses the spreading,mounding growth habit.

The second sheet, upper photograph discloses the fruit and winterleaves. The lower drawing discloses the summer foliage.

The colors shown are photographically as nearly true as is reasonablypossible to obtain by conventional photographic procedures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW PLANT

The following is a detailed description of my new variety of Nandinadomestica based on observations made of plants grown in greenhouses onraised benches and cultured according to conventional greenhouseprocedures. The color designations are according to The R.H.S. ColourChart of The Royal Horticultural Society, published in collaborationwith the British Colour Council at London, England, except where colorterms of dictionary significance are obvious.

THE PLANT

Origin: Seedling.

Parentage: Unknown seedling of Nandina domestica (heavenly bamboo ornandina).

Classification:

Botanic.--Nandina domestica.

Form: Bush.

Height: 2 to 3 feet.

Width: 21/2 to 4 feet.

Growth: Stoloniferous; dense, compact, mounded spreading habit. InSemmes, Ala., there is more-or-less continuous growth from June toAugust.

Foliage: Abundant in quantity.

Size of leaf.--10 To 16 inches long; 16 to 24 inches wide.

Leaflets.--1/2 To 2 inches long; 8 to 12 inches wide.

Texture.--Somewhat leathery.

Shape of leaf.--Tripinnately compound leaflets, subsessile,elliptic-lanceolate, cuneate, prominent midveins, secondary veinsscarcely noticeable. Leaflets composed of up to 170, 1/2 to 2 incheslong, one-half the size of species.

Color.--Bronze when emerging on new growth. Reddish Purple in winter,R.H.S. 53B. Color changes occur as leaves mature and the time of changeis dependent on climatic conditions. The bronze color is mixed withtransitional colors with the mature rich metallic upper leaf colorR.H.S. 46A and the under side of the leaf color is R.H.S. 48B.

THE FLOWER

Blooming habit: May and June.

Size: 1/4 inches in diameter. 3 to 5 inches long and 11/2 to 21/2 incheswide panicles. The panicles are sparse compared with the species.

Buds: Small, nondescript, hidden by ensheathing base of the petiole,only visible when leaf is removed.

Color.--Creamy White, R.H.S. 155A.

FRUIT

Shape: Round only on fully matured plants in generally three to fouryears.

Size: When present on mature plant, about 1/4 inches in diameter, twoseeded, bright red berry.

Resistance to disease: Is disease resistant and resistant also toinsects. Initially the fruit develops a metallic color and by lateSeptember-October is fully colored and persists on the plant throughoutthe winter months.

    ______________________________________                                        Characteristic                                                                            Applicant    Harbor Dwarf                                         ______________________________________                                        Height      60-90 cm.    30-45 cm.                                            Width       76-122 cm.   30-45 cm.                                            Leaf        25-41 cm. long                                                                             20-25 cm. long                                                   41-61 cm. wide                                                    Leaflets    1.3-5 cm. long                                                                             2-6 cm. long                                                     20-30 cm. wide                                                                             12-20 cm. wide                                       Berrying    abundant on  sparingly produced                                               mature plant                                                      Winter Color                                                                              Reddish purple                                                                             Orange to bronzy red                                 ______________________________________                                    

The advantages of this new variety are (1) new leaves of rich bronzethat change to metallic bluish green at maturity and in winter to auniform reddish purple tint; (2) a distinctive, dense mounded spreadinghabit with ultimate size ranging from two to three feet high and two andone-half to four feet wide; (3) stoloniferous growth that results in acompact, dense plant with no tendency to legginess or open growth habitthat is typical for species; (4) tripinnately compound leaves ten tosixteen inches long and sixteen to twenty-four inches in width composedof up to 170, one-half to two inches long entire leaflets, which isabout one-half the size of the species; (5) creamy white flowers thatare sparsely borne in three to five inches long and one and one-half totwo and one-half inches wide panicles during May-June, the flowers beingnot as abundant as the species but can be showy since they are dispersedover a much smaller framework, flowers appearing only on two to threeyear old container grown plants; (6) the one-fourth inch rounded, brightred fruit ripens in October and may persist through the winter, theentire fructescence being usually dense with fruit on mature plants; (7)easy to root from cuttings collected in July-August or by division atany time; (8) the moderate growth rate under normal fertilizer andmoisture conditions; in one year, a plant will fill a standardone-gallon nursery container and be full and dense as described herein;and (9) freedom from disease and insects.

The present plant is readily distinguishable from other Nandina as theNandina described herein does not have the same characteristics as otherNandina in bearing, color or growth as described in horticulturalliterature. Also, it does not grow eight feet in height but ratherdense, broad-mounded of stoloniferous nature.

I claim:
 1. A new and unique variety of heavenly bamboo or Nandina asherein shown and described, characterized by its dense broad-moundedgrowth habit, stoloniferous nature, bronze to metallic bluish green toreddish purple winter color foliage, creamy white flowers, bright redfruit, adaptability to extreme soil and cultural conditions, the leaves,flowers and fruit being about one-third to one-half the mature size ofthose for the typical species Nandina; rooted cuttings or divisions willfill a one-gallon container in two seasons, the dense, compact, moundedgrowth habit will fill numerous landscape needs for missing low-hedginggroupings and foundation plantings, requiring less maintenance,especially pruning, than the species; and freedom from disease andinsects with wide soil tolerance.